Shock-absorber.



S. M. STONE.

SHOCK ABSORBER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-30,1914.

Patented D66. 11, 1917.

1 P N 5 PI 2 SHEET$SHEET I.-

s. M. STONE. SHOCK ABSORBER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30,19I4.

Patent d p SHEETS SHEET SAMUEL n; stone, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHOCK-ABSORBER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patggntedn gm 111 a 1191"? Application filed. November 30,1214. Serial no. 874,724..

To all whom it may concern.

' Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. STONE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shock-Absorbers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to spring mountings for vehicles, and has special reference to improvements in elastic spring shackles, commonly called shock absorbers for automobiles.

The object of my inventionis to provide.

a shock absorber of very simple construction and low cost; and which, when substituted for the usual inelastic shackles of an..- tomobile springs, willlgreatly increase the effectiveness of the springs and lessen the spring shocks between the running gear and the bodyof the automobile.

Other Objects of my invention are, to pro vide a shock absorber which shall contain but a single spiral spring and yet be exactly balanced;to reduce the numberof parts in shock absorbers; to provide a device which may be quickly and easily applied without machine work of any kind, and in the installation of Which the ordinary spring shackle bolts may be utilized. Still further objects of my invention will appear hereinafter.

My invention consists in an elastic spring shackle or shock absorber of the construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims. j j

.The invention will be morereadily understood by reference to the, accompanying drawing, forming a of this specification, and in which: V

Figure 1 isapartial side elevation of an automobile equipped with a shock absorber embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlargedside elevationof the shock absorber shown in normal position; i

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing theshock absorber extended-to its elasticlimit;

Fig. 4 is a central vertical section of the shock absorber on the line 4c 4: of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5 5 0f Fig. 2

Fig. 6 depicts the external yoke of the device, before it-is bent to U-form;

, Fig. 7 depictsthe internal yoke or spring follower, before itisbent to U-form;

Fig. 8 illustrates a modified form and application of my'invention; p,

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9*. ofFig-.8; 9

Fig. 10 illustrates still another form of my invention; and i Fig. 11 depicts the spring follower of Fig. 10, before itis finally shaped. As illustrated in the drawings, my novel shock absorber comprises only four parts, namely, an external yoke, an internal yoke, a, compression spring, and a casing. As heredisclosed, the device may be made in various proportions and shapes to suit the different automobile springs. .Whatever its form, it takes the place of the rigid, pivotal, spring shackle commonly used in joining the opposed members of elliptical springs; and inthe case of platform and like springs, to join themto the frame of the running gear. Thus,-as in the case of the automobile shown in Fig. 1, the members, EQand, F, of the elliptical spring are shackled by the shock absorber, A; whereas in the case of an automobile having springs overlying the axles,.as in Fi s. 8 and 10, the spring, G, is shackled to the frame bracket, H, on the running. gear, by a shock absorber, B, or B, In substituting my shock absorber for the ordinary rigid or inelastic shackles I make use of the existingshackl'e bolts. To distinguish themfrom the coiled spring of my device, the automobile springs (E,

the simple forms shown in Figs. 6, 7, and

11. Theyokes arepreferably made from stock ofthe same thickness so that their faceswill be flush ,whenassembled.

As shownin Fig. 6, the stamping from which the external yoke is made comprises a flat bar having a struck-up spring retainer or boss, at, at its middle and provided with suitablyshaped ends, 6. The intermediate portions contain the slots, 0, c, and the ends,- 6, contain shackle bolt holes, d. The yoke is completed by bending the bar or stamping upon the dotted lines, e, e- When so formed it presents the appearance depicted in Figs. 2 to 5, in which state the external yokecomprises a bottom, 1, containing the boss, a, and thetwo parallel arms or sides, 2, 2,0f

internal and ekternal yokes are best equal length. Obviously the slots, 0., a, are

directly opposed; this is true also of the holes, at, in the upper ends otthe yoke.

The stamping from which the internal oke is made is shown in Fi 7. It com 115% a middle portion, f, and ends, 9, g. The

rniddleportion, 7, contains .a central downstruck spring retaining boss, h. It is of the same width as the bar from which the exernal yo eis forme e gt of: the porti'om f, is slightly less than the distance between the inner sides of the parallel arms,

2,2, ofthe external yoke. The ends, 9, g, are ofa width slightly less than the width of the slots, '0, c, in the external yoke, being intendedto fit snugly and yet slide therein. Shackle 'bolt'bolesfz', 5, are provided in the ends, g. The internal yoke is completed bending the stamping on the dotted lines, 2 0

jQjLWVh'en completed the internal yoke pre sents the bottom, 3, and the parallel arms or sides, 4,4,:as best shown in Fig. 4E. The arms, 4, occupy the slots, 0, 0, of the longer yoke; They are shorter thansaid slots; and therefore, though confined against lateral rn' overnent in the external yoke, the internal yoke ispermitted to move'freely in a longitudinal direction. It should be noted that the shoulders, 70, between the portions, 7,

3, serve as s de stops.

and, g, and marking the ends of the bottom,

f'The coiled spring, 5, is interposed between v the yoke bottoms, 1 and 3. It substantially fills the space between the sides of the ex-' ternal yoke and is securely centered and held by the bosses, e and h. In assembling the parts, I place the spring, 5, the larger yoke andthen forcethe smaller yoke downward thereon, between the arms of the larger yoke, until the arms of the smaller yoke snap into the guides or slots, 0, c.

Ellhat actioncompletes the shock'absorber proper," for it is then in condition to receive theshackle bolts, 'K'andL, of the main springs. Fig. 4 shows the bolts in 'pl'aceiin thelhfolespcland i, of the yokes,

'. Before applying the yokes to the main springs, I attachthe casing; the same being in one or the other. of two forms, according t'o'vthe position in which the device, is to be used; In the instance depicted in Figs. 1 to 5, the casing comprises a cylindrical'cup, 6',"ha ving a tightly fitted cover, 7. The cover "contains slots, 8, 8, for the accomnega ion of the arms of the yokes and the attached. to the internahyoke by meansof ears, 9, 9, which may extend tice I partially fill the cup or casing with grease and thus provide for the lubrication of the parts.

The operation of the device is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, from which it will be seen that the device as a whole constitutes-an elastic shackle or coupling for the the dimensions and throw limits of the main structure. If the device may normally stand at an inclination to the axle,l\l, I make it as shown in Fig. 8, and if it is to be normally perpendicular to the axle, I modify the shape, as shown in'Fig. 10.

' "The axle, M, carries the bracket, H, opposite the end of the main spring, G, and adjacent to the hub or drum, N. The shock absorber shown in Fig. '8, except that it is shorter, is identical with the device detailed above; whereas the device shown in Fig. 10 differs in two particulars, to-wit, the ends 6 of the long yoke are olfset from the center plane to accommodate the changed position, and the smaller yoke is provided with adownwardly-bent flange, f, which forms a stop, to engage the bracket, H, and prevent outward throw of the upper end of the device. Fig. 11 shows the stamping or blank from which this modified internal yoke is made.

The casing 12 of the inverted shock absorber cannot well be made to hold a lubricant and is essentially a dust cap. I prefer that it shall be rectangular, and that it shall very snugly fit the external yoke to prevent. rattling. Therefore, I form it from sheet metal, in square, box-like form, with ears, 9*, that are simple extensions of thesides 12. The folding. in of the sides,

as required to place theears over theshackle, both causes the edge flanges 12 to, engage and hold the other sides 12'. The points between the sides, need not be, otherwise closed. The top 12" of the box is preferably integral with the sides.

The width of the yokes, is determined by the width of the main springs to be received. As the coiled springs take their dimensions from, that of the external yokes, it will be clear that the proportioning of the latter to the main springs automatically determines the size of the coiled springs. Mydevice, though containin only a single spring, as contrasted with his known double spring absorbers is more certainly balanced and does not tend to either throw or wear out aaaaaaa out the true perpendicular to the action plane of the main spring.

Having thus described my invention, 1

' claim as new and desire to secure by Letters of both yokes containing shackle bolt holes,

and a casing inclosing the spring containing portion of said external yoke and having ears that contain bolt holes that register with those of the internal yoke forthe purpose described.

2. An automobile shock absorber, comprising an external yoke, containing guide slots in the sides, in combination with an internal yoke having arms shorter than and slidable in said slots, a compression spring between the bottoms of said yokes, the ends of both yokes containing shackle bolt holes, and a lubricant casing inclosing the spring-containing portion of said external yoke and having slots in its top for the arms of said yokes and said casing having ears that contain bolt holes that register with those of the internal yoke for the purpose described.

3. In an automobile shock absorber a primary strap metal yoke comprising a bottom and integral opposed arms, the arms containing guide slots, in combination with a secondary yoke comprising a bottom and in tegral opposed arms, the arms of said secondary yoke being shorter than and slidable in said guide slots, a compression spring between the bottoms of said yokes,said primary strap metal. yoke being formed to engage said compression spring circumferentially to center and firmly hold the spring, the

arms of both yokes containing shackle bolt holes, and a separate casing inclosing the lower parts of both said yokes.

4. An automobile shock absorber, comprising a primary'yoke containing guide slots in the sides, in combination with a secondary yoke having arms shorter than and slidable in said slots, a compression spring between the bottoms of said yokes the ends of both yokes containing shackle bolt holes, and easing means inclosing the spring-containing portion and having a part extending upwardly from the spring-inclosing part and adjacent the primary yoke arms, holes therein to accommodate the shackle bolt which passes through the secondaryyoke, and said casing inclosing thelower parts of both said yokes.

5. An automobile shock absorber comprising a primary yoke, containing guide slots in its sides, in combination with a secondary yoke having arms shorter than and slidable in said slots, a compression spring between the bottoms of said yokes, the ends of both yokes containing shackle bolt holes, a separate casing inclosing the spring containing portions of both yokes and formed and adapted to move the said secondary yoke.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 23d day of November, 1914, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL M. STONE. Witnesses:

En. BAKER, JOHN R. LEFEVRE.

Wmiem of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by aflareasinm the a a: manner or Watcntt,

aemngton, D. Q. 

